A subtle application of new wood can be found on the earthier and more obviously sauvage-inflected dark berry fruit aromas. Here too there is a sleek muscularity to the sappy and delicious medium weight plus flavors that more stonier while delivering slightly better depth and length on the dense, serious and sappy finale. This excellent and recommended effort is clearly built-to-age and will need it.

Bright medium red. Nose dominated by dusty spice notes of cumin, clove and saffron; one feels the stem element here. Juicy and spicy on the palate, but with the wine's strawberry fruit in the deep background today. Plenty ripe and energetic but dominated in the early going by salinity and Morey earthiness. Finishes firmly tannic and persistent.